Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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822. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will maintain an after-school literacy programme for vulnerable children (details supplied) under the Childhood Development Initiative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21144/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme is a joint prevention and early intervention initiative led by my Department and The Atlantic Philanthropies. It is a time bound co-funding arrangement with resources of €29.7m from 2013 to 2017. The aim of the ABC Programme is to test and evaluate prevention and early intervention approaches to improve outcomes for children and families living in poverty in 13 disadvantaged areas. Childhood Development Initiative (CDI) Tallaght, has been delivering Doodle Den in Tallaght and funding it in Limerick as part of their ABC programme.

The current contract for CDI was due to conclude in August 2016. My Department worked with CDI in April to agree the extension of this contract together with that of the two other PEIP sites to July 2017. In restructuring their services, CDI identified that the delivery of Doodle Den in Limerick, costing €106,000, would no longer form part of their ABC programme.

My Department has met with CDI and is actively working with this organisation to identify the costs of delivering Doodle Den Limerick and possible sources of funding. My Department is also actively liaising with the ABC programme in Limerick, the Limerick Children’s and Young People’s Services committee and other relevant Departments to determine possibilities in relation to the funding of the Doodle Den programme in Limerick. My officials have received communication from the current provider in the last few days. I will be following up directly on this correspondence also. I will revert to the Deputy when the outcome of these negotiations is known.